


UA’s Cryptid

by DreamOfStories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Animagus, Aurora gets Adopted, Body Language, Cats, Dimension Travel, Gen, Language Barrier, Nezu gets a Pet, Quirked Animals, Stuck as an Animal, This fic is a COVID free space, UA Cryptid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamOfStories/pseuds/DreamOfStories
Summary: Nezu didn’t understand what the fascination was humans had with cats... then he made a new friend. Aurora was just happy to have a safe place to stay in this strange new dimension with someone interesting and nice. The UA Teachers on the other hand really wanted to know what exactly their Principle was up to now...
Comments: 40
Kudos: 121





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This may be slightly clunky - and may end up needing rewriting later. I wanted to post something new though so... Merry Christmas!

It was raining. Her fur was matted to her back and she could barely bring herself to open her eyes. She felt so heavy... she couldn't bring herself to fight when the darkness pulled her back into unconsciousness.

-

She was cold. The rain had stopped, but she was soaked. Her eyes were cluster with dirt and there was something heavy trapping her tail. She was... lying in mud? No... a puddle? There were little ripples every time she managed to wheeze out a breath.

She needed to move. She needed to...

She couldn't change back. She was stuck.

She tried again, her magic sluggish and reluctant to respond. It didn't work, and this time she could feel the strain. Something was stopping her transforming back, something that ripped and tore at her magic itself.

...She still needed to move.

-

The third time she woke she felt worse, her muscles ached and her head felt like something was trying to claw its way out of it. Her magic barely reacted at all to her prodding, what was left of it. How had she ended up with magical exhaustion?

Her legs were kitten-weak, and everything was so much larger as she managed to pull herself upright. Her attempts to slide forward were stopped by... oh yes her back leg was still trapped.

For a second she sat there, panting heavily. It was... it was too much. She was trapped. She was trapped again and she had just escaped-

She was trapped. She needed to be free-

She was. Her leg was raw and scraped bloody but she was free. Free to stand in the mud of a muggle construction site and freeze, but... free. Slowly her ears shifted forwards and she let her head slump down as she just... breathed.

It didn't matter that she was trapped in her animagus form, possibly forever. It didn't matter that her magic was all but exhausted and she couldn't even manage a tickling charm. It didn't matter that she was lost in some muggle building site.

She was free. And she was going to stay that way.

Her legs steadying more with each step, she headed off to explore.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nezu takes note of an unusual feline.

Nezu rarely took the time to wander outside UA’s grounds. They were more than vast enough to let him meet his need for fresh air, green spaces and nature. Leaving UA came with it the small minded prejudices of humans that couldn't see beyond the end of their noses. On campus, he was known and respected and didn't have to deal with small children asking why he was loose and not in a zoo.

Sometimes however, he had no choice.

If only his favourite sushi place would agree to do delivery!

At least the weather was nice today. The recent rainstorms has been rather unseasonal although it had certainly benefited the flowers. The hero and support students had benefitted from the opportunity to train themselves and their gear in adverse weather too. Ah, the joy of putting UA’s future hopes through their paces.

Nezu took a deep breathe. Things always smelled better after the rain.

His nose twitched, and then twitched again as he hummed in thought. That... was a rather strong smell of raw fish.

Curious he trailed the smell towards an area he knew was popular with those who wanted to meet up and enjoy a game of shogi. He didn't play himself of course - too many egos - but he did enjoy trying to predict the winners whenever the occasional new player joined. Perhaps the fish smell belonged to a player? The smell was weaker than what a human would easily identify...

Ah.

The creature behind the smell was a large orange and black tabby cat with a white chest and bright green eyes. It's tail was twitching as it observed the players from a branch. Nezu tilted his head thoughtfully, debating whether to move into its line of sight. It seemed very intent on the players, and most animals tended to have a poor reaction to him. His scent was confusing apparently.

...He couldn't quite tell what exactly it was watching from this angle however. Was it watching the players? The game? A mouse? A packed lunch open on a table? The first two would be interesting, the others... well it would solve the mystery at least.

Carefully, he slid his way around the clearing until he could follow the cat’s line of sight. His lips curled up in a grin. The creature was ignoring the man's lunch. Instead, it's attention was completely consumed by watching the player’s moves. Its eyes tracked each piece as they were lifted and placed. The focus and sharp intelligence in that gaze... Nezu felt his grin widen.

-/-

Nezu happily finished all but a single bit of salmon while observing his newest... interest. The cat looked rather normal but now that he was actively observing it...

A bird had accidentally landed on the branch, seen the cat and panicked - that had earned no more than an ear flick. No, instead it's attention had been purely on the game - and when that game had finished it had moved to observe another one. It hadn't even jumped down to investigate the piece of tuna that had dropped to the grass or sauntered nearer for a closer look. It had just... changed position and gone back to observing.

It was possible of course that the cat was a shapeshifter of some kind. But then... why the attention on shogi? An unusual choice for a youngster testing the boundaries of their quirk. No, something else was going on here. Nezu was certain.

Considering the last piece of nigiri, he let himself indulge in a brief sigh before making his way over to the base of his interest’s tree. This would be an excellent final test. There was something about him that instinctively ruffled the feathers of the few real animals that he had the pleasure of interacting with. It usually resulted in the creatures becoming distressed and trying to leave. Only a handful managed to overcome that initial instinctive urge, and they were usually either highly trained or possessed an intelligence quirk of some kind.

Clearing his throat softly, he peered up into the tree, keeping his teeth covered and his expression friendly. The last piece of nigiri was carefully held in an open palm.

There it was.

The cat had taken one look at him and all its fur had shot up. It's ears had flattened and it looked poised to flee. Nezu held his position, the feeling of interest decreasing the longer the cat struggled with itself. Any moment now it would...

Jump down in front of him?

He tilted his head as it examined him curiously. This close he could identify faint scars on the soft skin of its inner ear, the scrape on its nose that looked a little too recent and the scruffy, vaguely patchy look to its fur barely disguised by its unique colouring. It was also thin, too thin for an active predator of its size and metabolic needs.

“Hello,” he murmured softly, “you're a special one aren't you? Do you want some sushi?”

It considered him, looking between the food in his paw and his carefully controlled non-threatening expression. He wondered what it was seeing. A creature with white fur that stood only slightly taller than it was, offering food... a fellow predator, or perhaps a potential ally? 

“It's yours,” he repeated, letting his voice take on the same croon as Aizawa’s had that time a month ago when he'd found a kitten under the stadium that needed coaxing to eat. “I promise it's the best sushi you'll find on this side of Tokyo.”

The cat’s fur had settled slightly - it no longer looked like it had been electrocuted - but it's ears were still back. He debated for a second before placing the food carefully on the ground, mourning the loss of the smooth fluffy rice treat.

The cat waited until he had taken two steps back and then stretched its neck out to sniff the food without taking its eyes off him. For a second, he saw a glimmer of gold in its green eyes. Perhaps a trick of the light. Perhaps not.

His smile grew, and this time he couldn’t hide a slight flash of fang. Oddly enough, that seemed to settle the cat more. It's ears finally shifted back to a semi-relaxed neutral position and it took a cautious nibble from the sushi. Very interesting.

Perhaps he could...

Careful footsteps behind him had the cat tensing before fleeing into the bushes behind it. It hadn't taken the rest of the sushi and he didn't like the look of that wound on the end of its tail. Nezu felt his lips turn down slightly as he turned to raise an eyebrow at the park monitor. 

“Yes?”

“Ah, Principle Nezu... I was wondering if everything was ok.”

Nezu blinked. The monitor did look concerned. He was glancing in the direction of the cat and his body language mirrored that of adults looking to shield a smaller child - wary and protective. A shame. From the Monitor’s perspective... a large sentient possible-mouse staring down a cat. This was why he did not like walking around civilians. They got... ideas.

“No. No problem. I was simply concerned with our visitor. Tell me, has it been seen around here before?”

The park monitor blinked, “ummm... it was here yesterday. I don't know if it's been here before that.”

Nezu nodded encouragingly, pausing to see if the man would volunteer any more information. He didn't. “Has it... approached anyone?”

The monitor shook his head, his attention turning elsewhere now that the perceived danger had passed. “No, it's kept it's distance from almost everyone. It's why I was worried - seems to be pretty nervous of humans and then... well...” he offered an insincere reassuring smile. “Seems pretty silly now I think about it. You are a Pro-hero after all.”

Nezu nodded agreeably, thanking the man for his attention and turning his thoughts back to the cat. He would have to visit again tomorrow. But that the cat seemed comfortable with him of all beings, over that of human company...

Nezu allowed the thought to stew along with his other observations of the cats general state of wellbeing as he made his way back to the school.

-/-


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Second Meeting

Aurora Travis was not a weak witch, however as Professor of Traditional Magics, she was often dismissed as one. Threadcraft, song-spells, stones and rituals and alternative foci - compared to the more modern magical arts of rune craft, potions, and wand magic they were deemed incredibly inefficient. The majority of people dismissed them as house-witch tricks passed down through families. They weren't wrong but... did no one think of the sheer potential in these ancient crafts?

Well. Regardless of their thoughts, if her specialism had been anything else then she would have been screwed. No wand. No hands. A curse tangling any spells in her head until all she had were the shadows of concepts and her animagus form’s instincts...

Aurora took a deep shuddering breath. After a month of frustration, it seemed her one day off from exploring the local magic scene (pitifully weak in all but specific affinities, restricted to temples, or almost entirely dependant on sleeping gods) hadn't been enough. She hadn't expected it to be but... she didn't want to waste time either.

She needed a better distraction than whatever strange version of chess the old muggles had been playing the other day. Something different and interesting like that white furred creature who had offered her sushi. With its sharp intellect and a heavy intent that snared the attention of whatever poor soul caught its interest... well. Perhaps she could run into it again.

She did like living dangerously.

-/-

The white bear creature was back. It had set itself up in a corner of the same park, in such a way that gave it easy view of the trees around the shogi boards. That... wasn't exactly subtle. Nor was the array of smoked and otherwise tasty looking morsels arrayed in front of it.

Perhaps Aurora wasn't the only one intrigued by a possible new friend.

It hadn't noticed her yet. She would have been disappointed if he had. She was in full stalking mode, steps deathly silent as she crept along the wall behind him. A few more steps and...

Perfect landing. Ten out of ten.

And not a single sign of surprise from the bear.

She chuffed and flicked her tail at him, amused in spite of herself. He chuckled back, so feelings appropriately conveyed, Aurora focused on the array of treats. They all smelled like fish oil. Nose and whiskers and the subtle scent over her tongue as she breathed in all told her it was safe... She sat back, considering the food and the bear as her tail flicked from side to side.

The bear rumbled something in the same tone from yesterday. It seemed relaxed, calm and steady. That didn't match its intent at all. No, that was as laser sharp as ever.

She considered the bear and it's mouth noises again. That, she believed was the most frustrating thing about this place. In her own world, she'd have been able to make those mouth noises into unique sounds and those sounds into... something. Maybe something understandable. As it was, the noises only helped to give her emotional context. He wanted her to settle and be chill and be happy. His intent said he wanted to pick her brain apart to find how she functioned in a distinctly non-physical way.

Her eyes narrowed and she considered the nearest dishes. It had been eating tuna yesterday, so tuna was safe for whatever it was.

Considering how best to communicate her wishes, she examined the plates. They were sturdy dish things. Not easily broken or blown away. Nice and rigid too. If she just... right there...

Considering the angles, she blinked lazily at the bear who had stopped making mouth noises and was now leaning backwards. The bear’s plate was empty.

A sharp slap with her paw, and that was no longer the case. Nearly all of the tuna snacks had landed squarely on target.

This time the bear was surprised. Surprised and pleased. Aurora preened a little. He hadn't seen that coming. Good.

Curling her tail under herself, she pretended disinterest as the bear burst into laughter. The quaffel was by his posts now as it were. Time to see if there was a mind to match that intent.

-/-

Nezu... could admit he had been slightly disappointed when the cat showed no signs of understanding him. He'd varied his words a little, but it had only reacted to changes of tone. Then it had examined the spread he'd asked Lunch Rush to prepare, and flipped the tuna onto his plate.

That had been deliberate. First, to choose the tuna from yesterday over the other delicacies. Second, to successfully aim the majority of the food to land on his plate. And finally, to not touch any other morsel until he'd eaten. Even now it was sitting, as if it had not a care in the world... if not for its eyes and ears, and the fact it was sitting in the middle of a virtual feast, Nezu would have been none the wiser to its anxiety. The cat’s control over its own body language was superb.

Choosing a piece from the top of the pile, Nezu chewed it carefully and swallowed it under the cat’s watchful eyes. Then he offered a piece of tuna to the cat.

It eyed him with something approaching disdain before crouching down to nibble at a chunk of haddock closer to it. Nezu couldn't help but let out a delighted laugh. Now he had two possibilities for the cat’s behaviour! Or possibly even a double motive!

Settling down, he nibbled at the tuna she'd rejected as the cat helped - her? Yes, he was sure now, the cat was female - helped herself to the food. This close and with a better angle he had a far better picture of what she had been through... and that tail definitely required proper veterinary attention.

Casually, he pulled a portable microchip scanner out his pocket. The cat eyed it carefully, an ear twitching in his direction before she decided to ignore it. Or rather pretend to ignore it, she was no longer quite as relaxed as she'd been before.

Humming to himself quietly, he activated it and frowned. He had expected to find something. All animals suspected of having a quirk were required to be tagged - even he'd been tagged before his court case and still had the scar on his neck from where the chip was removed. The cat was clearly not a normal pet, and yet...

Perhaps she had been stolen? Or lab bred? Labs could sometimes be more lax regarding subjects they didn't intend to... permit to leave and the cat was young. It was hard to spot but it had the look of a young adult to it rather than of a full grown creature. Perhaps she was only a year and a half, maybe two.

The cat had clearly eaten its fill and was eyeing the device in his hands carefully.

“Ah, nothing to worry about my friend! I was just checking to see if there were any records of you!”

It sniffed at him, sticking its nose in the air in a move that had a distinctly human feel to it. Nezu’s grin widened, and he typed a query into the device - this time a request for identification based on distinctive markings, without the requirement of possessing a quirk.

Still negative.

That... was more surprising unless someone had deliberately not reported her missing. If she had been a lost, stolen or a run away pet they would have. There were a number of charities that collaborated specifically to ensure lost pets were added as soon as they were identified as missing. Now that she was literally on his lap... he could see that some of the scars he had seen had a distinctly uniform appearance to them.

Nezu didn't like the implications of his thoughts.

“I don't suppose you could answer my questions?” He asked, tone light and teasing. “You're clearly intelligent and an accomplished mimic if nothing else.”

She’d finished eating and was having a quick groom. Ears twitching at various noises but returning to focus on him. Nezu... was unsure what to do.

He remembered what it was like to be dismissed as a mere animal. He still didn't like being in small enclosed spaces without ready escape routes. It was too easy to be trapped in them. To easy to be...

Something bopped his nose and he blinked. At some point, while he had been thinking, she had moved so that she was sitting directly in front of him. He hadn't sensed a thing - no movement of air currents over his whiskers or a single hint of sound. Or perhaps he had and not noticed it?

Now, she was staring at him, green eyes sharp and clear. Her paw was rising, claws sheathed and ready to bop his nose again. His emotions did something unfamiliar and complicated. He swallowed.

The cat considered him a moment before seeming to sigh. Stepping forward, she threw herself onto his lap and stared up at him with expectant eyes.

Nezu blinked down at her, before cautiously petting her ears. They looked the part of her least likely to get him a retaliatory scratch.

She relaxed into the scratch and began to purr, the vibrations deep and comforting on a level he... was rather unfamiliar with. He swallowed, letting the purr rumble through his bones, shaking off the last memories of bright lights and scalpels and metal wire cages.

“My dear...” he murmured. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”

He considered her thoughtfully, plans twirling through his mind as the necessary steps to achieve his goals came together. A distant part of his mind wondered when he had decided to keep her with him - when he had compared her probable past to his own, or when he had felt her purr for the first time?

Regardless, he would be taking her home to UA with him. Eventually.

After she had finished purring.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you need Cat advice, there’s only one hero you should call.

There was a distinct difference between the newer teachers and their seniors in the Monday staff meeting that day. Nemuri and Hizashi had left feeling vaguely positive about the day, offering a friendly wave as they headed to their respective classes. The Principle had been in a good mood, their respective piles of paperwork were comfortably small and it was time for the summer break. A whole month of no students - what wasn't to like? The older staff on the other hand had taken one look at the Principle’s smile and had seemed to... slump. Shouta found it concerning.

He watched the small mammal practically bounce off for the third day in a row and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Maijima sighed next to him. “Here we go again.”

Shouta glanced around him, his eyebrow quirked in a question. “Hmm?”

Maijima smiled slightly, but it was a strained rueful expression. Shouta's concerns grew. “Nezu has a new interest. It's not a bad thing-“

Near by, Ectoplasm choked slightly before waiving the attention off.

“-but it does tend to lead to changes in how the school runs. Or alternatively particular student’s lives becoming more interesting. It depends what the interest is.”

Shouta nodded in acknowledgement as the other staff drifted off to their various tasks. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. Then again, it wasn't like the world stopped changing. Shaking things up every now and again could be a good thing...

He jumped as Principle Nezu popped out from behind a corner. Hadn't he literally just left in the other direction...

“Ah Aizawa-San! Could you come by my office? I would like your assistance please!”

Shouta nodded agreeably, pretending not to notice the sudden attention of everyone still in the room. What sort of project could the Principle want his help with...?

-/-

Shouta stared. “...the school is getting a cat.”

“Well, I am getting a cat and she will be living with me at the school.”

Shouta blinked. It was a little out of the blue, and possibly not the best environment to raise a kitten in with teenagers throwing quirks around but... “Ok?”

Nezu's grin widened. “As the staff member most experienced with cat care, I'm hoping you won't mind assisting me with this.”

Shouta frowned. “I don't keep cats.”

Nezu nodded agreeably. “But you do tend to foster them until they are well enough for a permanent home. Your experience will be greatly valued.”

Shouta considered his options. On one hand, he did not have the time or commitment for a pet. Taking in injured felines until a good home could be found when things were quiet was one thing - accepting responsibility for another living thing for the rest of its life was another. On the other hand, if the cat was going to be living at his place of work where he spent most of his time anyway... 

“Why are you getting a cat?”

Nezu smiled beatifically. “Companionship - why else?”

Shouta frowned slightly. “It's not a sudden decision is it? You didn't just decide to get a cat?”

Nezu raised an eyebrow, his smile turning slightly sharper. “I assure you I am aware of the necessary ongoing commitments.”

Shouta sighed, “...All right. I'll help.”

“Excellent!”

Nezu bounced onto the desk, suddenly full of enthusiasm. Shouta could see why the other staff members had been... nervous. The sheer amount of manic energy the small mammal was leaking was a little concerning.

“I estimate I will have established sufficient trust to introduce her to her new home in a week. Perhaps two. Where would you suggest we start on ensuring the school is a suitable environment?”

“...probably the grounds. I'm assuming she's not going to be an inside cat?”

“I have no intention of restricting her movements more than necessary for her wellbeing.”

“Right.” Aizawa narrowed his eyes in thought. “Do you want help getting her space ready too? I'm guessing she’ll be sleeping in your rooms in the staff dorms.” 

Nezu hummed thoughtfully. “It would be appreciated. Although I believe it would be best to introduce you to each other first. She’s rather... unique.”

“Sure.” Shouta doubted that. Every cat was unique. The Principle’s tone implied that she was also _special_. “This week?”

“Thursday if you are available.” Nezu agreed. “In the mean time, I will assign a few maintenance droids to assisting you. If you could instruct them on potential problems to look for...”

“All right.”

“Good. Thank you Aizawa-san.”

Shouta nodded, and left, mind turning over the problem of how to cat-safe a school. The air vents, definitely. The windows had fly covers, but he'd need to check if they were strong enough or if the windows would need tighter safety limiters. The grounds would have to be checked for the ridiculous number of plants that cats couldn't eat. Security in the training areas would need updating too - students couldn't go wild if there was a helpless animal in there with them. The AI monitors would need to be trained to recognise and extract the cat as needed...

It would be a lot of work. But, depending on how it went, maybe Nezu’s cat wouldn’t mind a neighbour...

Now there was a worrying thought. If the staff dorms were going to become pet friendly, did that mean Hizashi would finally be able to get the cockatiel he'd been after for forever? He hoped not. He was not a bird person even if his friend’s rooms were heavily sound proofed already.

-/-

Her Bear was up to something. The near courting behaviour was one thing - making friends with an animal usually involved positive attention and food - but he'd seemed off the last few days. Introspective and distracted, nervous almost, but the answer to why that was would take more digging than she felt comfortable with. She wasn't that skilled at digging with her legilimency and knowing her luck he'd be the kind to only think in symbolism and sense-impressions anyway...

So, she'd started tailing him. Not all the time, and never on the campus that was distinctly his territory. She'd just... stayed downwind and tailed him whenever he went between his giant glass castle and their little park. It was as much to make sure he reached their meeting place safely as anything else - who knew what might happen in his distracted state.

Today though, it seemed to be particularly bad. He looked nervous, as well as merely feeling it, and he stopped at the base of the hill to meet a scruffy looking man with long scraggly black hair. Her ears flattened slightly as she observed them. The new person didn't look particularly aggressive, but he moved with the same surety that she did in human form, that Aurors did, that the better Death Eaters did. He moved like a fighter.

She waited just long enough to be sure that they were heading to her Park together before slipping down the tree and loping forward to overtake them. This time she did her Bear the courtesy of not trying to be completely silent as she padded out onto the path in front of them and sat patiently waiting for them to round the corner.

If she was going to meet someone new, it would not be in her space or his. It'd be in random neutral territory where no one could spring a trap.

-/-

Nezu wasn't sure why his (future) cat had become more nervous as the days passed. It was an odd dichotomy. She trusted him, enough that she didn't seem to mind him petting her soft fur or stroking her ears. She was perfectly happy to sprawl next to him, her rumbling purr a steady comfort as he caught up on reading. Except, she also seemed uneasy and restless. It fed his own nerves, reminding him of all the terrible things that could happen to a small quirked mammal alone in a large uncaring city.

If she had been less intelligent, more typical, he'd have resorted to trapping her already but... if she had been either of those he doubted she'd have caught his attention. Certainly he wouldn't be-

His whiskers twitched, a familiar scent on the breeze. Odd. They were still a good 15 minutes walk from the park. 

“Something wrong?”

“Not as such.” Nezu murmured, straining his ears. There was a rustle that could be...

Aizawa-kun spotted her first as the path wound around a large oak. “...That’s your cat, isn't it.”

Nezu felt a warm smile grow at the sight of the familiar black and orange mini tiger. “Yes.”

Aizawa glanced down at him before eyeing the cat who was looking distinctly unimpressed. “You know, you never told me her name.”

“She doesn't have one yet,” Nezu admitted. “I've been thinking of a few options, but choosing one is difficult.”

Aizawa nodded, before grimacing and sitting down cross legged on the path. “So, she's a stray.”

“Yes, and not one that's had an easy time of things.” The additional scars and scabs he'd felt under her fur over the last few week had made him much more interested in where she'd come from. Those injuries had not been from lab work or the typical scrapes that came with wild living. They had been most definitely caused by human malice.

Aizawa hummed softly, leaning back on his hands and half closing his eyes as he basked in the warm sun. Nezu took the opportunity to set down his bag and fish out today’s meal. He kept his movements calm and smooth, like he'd planned to have the meeting here and not in the park as usual.

She waited until he'd finished and then padded over so she was a foot out of arms reach, her nose twitching. Nezu had the oddest feeling that she was demanding an explanation, or at least introductions.

“Hello my dear, this is Aizawa Shouta.” He said, voice as warm and reassuring as he could make it. “He's a colleague of mine I wanted to introduce you to.”

The cat’s tail flicked in irritation, but she did switch her focus to Aizawa-san, and she didn't leave. Relaxing slightly, he held a paw out in her direction, an invitation. She stood and stretched, dragging the moment out before padding over to him. Nezu smiled, smoothing her fur down as she leaned against him. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the human yet.

“She seems fairly confident.” Aizawa murmured, head tilting slightly to keep an eye on her. “I was worried when you said she was a stray.”

“Less so when alone around humans.” Nezu murmured back. “Even now, she's keeping me between us.”

Aizawa hummed in agreement, and shifted upright again, his movements smooth and careful. She watched him balefully, her ears flat.

“You're right, she isn't quite full grown yet.” He continued, “Her tail... it seems to be healing ok, but I'm not a vet.”

“I was worried about it too.” Nezu admitted, running his paw down her back, smoothing her fur down again.

The cat leaned briefly into his side before straightening and stepping around him, steps slow and deliberate. Aizawa-san didn't move. She put a paw on his knee and paused, watching him. When he still didn't move, she jumped forward so she was standing paws on his chest glaring at him eye to eye.

Aizawa-san stiffened. “Ah, you didn't mention she has a quirk.”

Nezu frowned. She hadn't done anything particularly non-cat like yet had she? “Oh?”

“Yes, I'm pretty sure she's warning me to play nice.” He hesitated, eyes fixed on the cat on his chest, both hands still firmly on the floor. “I'm getting a distinct warning feeling, and her eyes have changed.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of Aizawa meets the Cat

_Aizawa-san stiffened. “Ah, you didn't mention she has a quirk.”_

_Nezu frowned. She hadn't done anything particularly non-cat like yet had she? “Oh?”_

_”Yes, I'm pretty sure she's warning me to play nice.” He hesitated, eyes fixed on the cat on his chest, both hands still firmly on the floor. “I'm getting a distinct warning feeling, and her eyes have changed.”_

-/-

Shouta caught Nezu freeze out of the corner of his eye. Only his paws moved, flexing as he considered this new information. The cat’s eyes had lost their gold flecks and the foreign emotions that had come with it had faded. The green eyes in their place were no less firm in their intent.

He wondered what the cat was reading from him. If it's quirk was a two-way empathic connection... well he was feeling shock, and concern... but nothing that would be overly threatening... he hoped. The poor thing was trying to be aggressive with it's ears back and whiskers bristling but Shouta could tell from its eyes that it was far closer to being terrified. He didn't like that look.

Nezu stood up slowly, moving towards them, and her claws curled into the material of his jumpsuit. Aizawa debated telling him to stop so she could calm down but... her claws wouldn't puncture his clothes. Probably. Or if they did he'd have to have words with the Support department.

“My dear, I didn't know you were worried about me.” Nezu murmured soothingly, reaching out a hand to run down her back. Shouta braced himself.

Surprisingly, the cat didn't lash out. It tracked the approaching hand carefully but didn't so much as flinch. Shouta felt a small bubble of amusement and wondered if the cat could feel it too.

“It's a good thing you're planning to adopt her.” He said, his tone light. “Because I'm pretty sure she's adopted you already.”

Nezu blinked at him in surprise before a wide grin spread over his face. “Oh? That's excellent news. Truly.”

“Mmm.” Shouta considered the situation for a minute before letting his head fall back. He'd have let his arms buckle too but that seemed like a bad idea. “Does this mean we’re going to try to coax her back today?”

Nezu, obviously having decided to ignore him as well as all the advice that said picking up an angry cat was a terrible idea, wrapped his paws around the animal’s back and belly and tugged her sideways. Her claws caught on his jumpsuit briefly before she released him and allowed Nezu to move her with a low grumble.

Shouta took the opportunity to slump cat-free onto the floor. This was not what he had been expecting when he'd agree to meet the cat Nezu had decided to adopt. He'd have to apologise to Meijina. He totally got what he meant now about the Principle and his ideas.

He turned his head to the side to better watch Nezu and the cat. Its eyes were glittering faintly with gold again. He was tempted to try and erase its quirk but... the poor thing had almost definitely had enough for one day. Cutting off one of its senses without warning would be cruel.

“So... is she coming back with us?”

Nezu nodded firmly. “If we can explain it to her in terms she can understand.” He held his stern face for a second before that grin Shouta just knew he was going to learn to fear reappeared. “She likes me.”

Shouta closed his eyes and sighed.

-/-

Aurora couldn't help but be incredibly amused by the human her Bear had brought to see her. She hadn't been at first. Her Bear had been increasingly stressed recently and then he turns up with some human feeling like that... and well. Ok. Maybe she'd jumped to conclusions about Bear’s human friend.

Sleepy Head was cool. Whatever he said made her Bear perk right back up to the point he was almost giddy with it. He also tolerated her pushing him around and was only slightly freaked out when she'd... er... used the one avenue of communication she had to express her displeasure. Then he'd flopped on the ground and pretended to sleep. That... that took a distinct lack of care about the dust and dirt he was lying in. And a major appreciation for one of the few great joys in life.

She blinked sleepily and yawned. Her Bear chuckled and petted her ears, earning himself a brief rumbling purr. Telling Sleepy Head off and then reassuring her Bear that she did like him had taken a lot out of her - almost all the magic she'd saved up to be honest.

Her Bear murmured something in a tone laced with amusement and relief, his paw switching from petting her ears to long smooth strokes.

It was soothing and Bear was watching over her and Sleepy Head was a fighter and Bear’s friend. She could probably just close her eyes for a minute...

-/-

Nezu nudged Aizawa-san awake as she drifted off, earning himself a sleepy glare.

“She's passed out.”

Aizawa-san sat up with a grumble. “Quirk over use?”

Nezu hummed in agreement, his paw settling on a pulse point. It was a little slow, but nothing overly worrying. “It's likely. What are your thoughts?”

“How long have you known she has a quirk?”

Nezu stood and dusted himself down. “Since the day I met her. She was showing an unusual level of interest in the shogi players. Also, I am... not usually liked by normal animals but when I approached she overcame that fear unusually quickly.”

Aizawa was silent, shifting easily into a kneeling position. “That's why you wanted to adopt her.”

“No.” Nezu denied, “I wanted to adopt her because I genuinely like her. However, I would have intervened in her case regardless. She has not been well treated.”

He got a hum in agreement. “She has a lot of old injuries.”

“I wondered if she had perhaps escaped from somewhere. But there is no record of a cat of her description missing - quirked or otherwise.”

“And if there had been?”

“I would have a number of questions on the animal welfare standards at the place in question.” Nezu confirmed. “Would you be willing to carry her back?”

Aizawa nodded, and carefully scooped her up. She didn't so much as twitch. “She will need to be registered properly.”

“I'm aware.” Nezu agreed, “However I would prefer if my ownership could not be refuted.”

“...are we taking her to a Vet for a wellness check first, or is one coming to the school?”

“Perhaps after she has settled in.” He considered her fondly. “And I think I've decided on a name.”

Aizawa-san raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“Koi. Cats prefer names with a high pitched sound at the end and she does have the colours of a Taisho Sanshoku.”

“...Close enough. Koi it is.”

Nezu chuckled, it probably wouldn’t be polite to explain that the main reason he had chosen the name was because of her constant fishy smell. Even with him feeding her a variety of foods, she still seemed to smell of a fish market. Perhaps that had been where she had been staying during the evenings?

“I haven't told the other staff yet.” Aizawa-san commented blandly. “I didn't want to deal with the hassle.”

Nezu felt a wide grin spread over his face. “Please continue to keep your silence. I imagine Koi will be pleased to introduce herself in her own time.”

“I suppose you know the best route to the staff dorms then?”

Nezu nodded happily. “I do indeed. We’ll take the south entrance.” He paused, raising a paw to his mouth in a thoughtful kind of way. “I wonder... will Koi become UA’s own cryptid?”

Aizawa sniggered quietly at the thought. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

-/-


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A New Home

She woke up in an unfamiliar location that appeared to have been carefully designed to provide for all her immediate needs... with the sole exception of free range exploring. Her first thoughts were along the lines of ‘fuck you not this not again how dare they-‘ and continued like that for some time. Then she noticed that actually, there was a cat flap on both the doors in and out, and that the place smelled like her Bear.

Ignoring the frankly amazing cat tree, she tested the cat flaps and relaxed a little when they both opened easily. One led to what was probably a living room of sorts, the other led outside onto a balcony. She sent a single, longing glance at the balcony then went to explore the rest of the flat. It was something to do while she tried to figure out if this whole thing meant what she thought it meant and what the hell was up with the random itch between her shoulder blades.

Her Bear was reviewing some sort of paperwork on the sofa - his eyes flickering across lines of illegible print as a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. She paused in the door way, narrowing her eyes at him. So. This was his home.

He startled slightly at the sight of her, and something about his ears seemed to sag a little in relief. The frown lightened a little and his general feeling of worry-concern shifted.

He patted the couch next to him in invitation and she hoped up easily, padding along towards him. Then she spotted a plain black collar on the table and... paused.

She was a cat. She was probably going to be a cat for a significant amount of time, if not the rest of her very long life. Cats... with a home, tended to have a reasonably comfy life. All she had to do was... accept an owner.

Her Bear was watching her cautiously, his gaze following hers to the collar on the table. He picked it up carefully, and met her gaze, whiskers twitching in what was probably supposed to be a smile.

She was still hesitating. She didn't want an owner, didn't want to acknowledge herself as the property of another.

But.

But.

She checked her magical reserves and her claws dug briefly into the material. She didn't like how low they were. Still...

Focusing on her Bear, she met his eyes.

-/-

Nezu frowned as Koi’s eyes flickered with gold flecks, the apparent tell tale sign that she was using her quirk. He focused on what he wanted her to feel, to understand, given that words were apparently not an option.

Concern, firstly. Protectiveness. The comfort of the promise of a warm shelter... Sincerity. 

He didn't know what else she needed to feel, and he didn't want Koi to fall back into the sleep of quirk-exhaustion.

She was still hesitating though, still considering him, and the collar in his hands.

Then Koi stepped forward and lifted her head haughtily, her stance challenging. Nezu’s lips twitched and he clipped the collar shut careful of Koi’s fur.

She shook herself, just once. More like a dog than a cat, and then yawned and curled into his side.

Nezu felt himself soften - one paw slipping down to stroke her ears.

The soft rumble filled the apartment and Nezu felt the last of the week’s tension evaporate.

Koi was home and safe.

He went back to reading the maintenance booklet that came with Koi’s new collar. It wasn't as tamper proof as the legally required registration chip his personal vet had implanted, but at least he'd be able to know if anyone tried to kidnap her. Koi would be free to wander at will - he wouldn't ever try to cage her - but this way, he'd be able to find her if she got lost or disappeared for too long or worse.

-/-

Shouta paused as he entered the staff breakroom to find the other hero course staff members loitering conspicuously. There wasn't a staff meeting planned, and yet everyone was there. Even Thirteen.

He turned to leave and Hizashi, the traitor, clamped a hand onto his shoulder and leaned in with a big grin. “Sho! We were just wondering if you could help clear some things up!”

Shouta's shoulders slumped and he burrowed his face in his scarf. “I really can't.”

Recovery Girl slapped the back of his knees with her stick. Shouta was just glad she was fairly gentle about it. “Come now. We know Nezu is up to something and we know you're in on it. The students are back from summer break in less than three weeks! If damage control is needed...”

Shouta kept his face blank out of sheer self preservation. Nemuri was hovering on the edge of her chair and eyeing him like he was her latest target. Any show of weakness and she'd pounce.

“Damage control?” He asked sceptically.

“Nezu forgets sometimes that our students are technically children.” Cementoss explained. “While we don't believe that he would deliberately endanger anyone, he can sometimes... over estimate... what the hero students are capable of. It's less of a concern for the other courses, but we have reason to worry.”

Shouta turned his sceptical gaze to Nemuri. Usually she could be counted on as the voice of reason. Or if not her, Hizashi, but Hizashi was a traitor who hadn't released him yet so...

“If our seniors think it's a risk, we shouldn't dismiss it. So. What's going on?”

Shouta considered the fact that his colleagues were unlikely to actually harm him, verses what would happen if Nezu's new best friend was spooked and vanished. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Sho!” Hizashi didn't quite yell in his ear. “We know you went somewhere with Nezu yesterday.”

“And Nezu assigned ten maintenance bots to you to check for something that he didn't tell us about.” Heijumo said. “Not to mention the sudden large orders of wood and metal poles and stain proof grey carpet tiles.”

“He's been ordering custom lunches,” Lunch Rush added. “Fish and chicken dishes mostly, but some other meats. I've seen him add an unknown supplement to them as well.”

“Then there was that time we caught you with your hands stained in shiny blue and silver paint.” Nemuri chuckled to herself, “The colours suited you.”

Snipe tilted his hat back, eyes flicking to him. “And that completely ignores the other packages that have been arriving, or the fact he's added a new resident to the security system. Ectoplasm, what were you saying about...?”

The maths teacher shrugged. “Nezu has seemed vaguely disturbed recently. Something has him unsettled.”

“Unsettled is the least of it!” Recovery Girl interrupted, “He called his personal doctor yesterday! Do you know how unusual or bad his injuries have to be for him to need his doctor not me?” She narrowed her eyes up at him. “Whatever is going on. It's past time for us to know about it.”

Shouta blinked at them, keeping his mouth carefully hidden under his scarf. It wanted to twitch into a grin. He could sorta see where his fellow teachers were coming from. “What you think Nezu is building some sort of cage in the school for a ferocious monster?”

Snipe’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn't put it past him.”

Shouta suddenly really really wanted to ask. He refrained. “...it's not a ferocious monster.”

Nemuri leaned forward, her eyes glittering at him. That eye shadow was definitely a little too much.

“So we’re right. You do know what's going on.”

Nezu was going to kill him. Koi was going to make his life a misery by taunting him with fluffy fur that was perfect for cuddles while Nezu kept her out of reach. Although there had been that one comment...

“Yes.” Shouta admitted, “The truth is... Nezu has decided UA needs a Cryptid.”

The other teachers froze. Hizashi snapped out of it first. “...A Cryptid?”

Shouta bobbed his head, careful not to let his smirk become visible. “She’s kinda sweet in a I will rip you to shreds if you cross me kind of way. Not sure what finally persuaded her not to try and eat me actually.”

The others were starting to relax at the thought of a resident Cryptid, tensed up again at the implication that their newest resident could and would rip someone to pieces. Shouta could almost see them freaking out, even if they were all skilled enough to hide their panic.

“Nezu is pretty attached to her already.” He finished with a sigh, “He's even named her, so you'll probably get to meet her soon.”

“Shouta...” Hizashi murmured nervously. “Tell me you're joking.”

He shrugged, Hizashi’s hand finally dropping off his shoulder. “You’ll see in a few days.”

He started backing towards the door, Hizashi staring at him in horror. Recovery Girl looked to be gearing up for another tirade too, but then he was saved by the tannoy. 

“Aizawa-Sensei to the Staff Appartments, please. Aizawa-Sensei to the Staff Apartments.”

Shouta did his best to memorise the vaguely horrified look his fellow staff members were wearing. He had a feeling the amusement would be needed in the upcoming meeting. Nezu just had that way about him...

Or maybe Koi had woken up? The vet had promised that her case of quirk exhaustion wasn't that bad...

He walked a little faster. He wanted to know what she thought of his and Nezu’s attempts to build a cat jungle gym. They'd both gone a little over the top...


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First Impressions

Nezu looked up as Aizawa-san knocked on the door, and almost immediately after, slipped into his office. Someone was impatient this afternoon. He kept his movements calm and steady as Koi snuffled in her sleep and pushed closer into his side. Aizawa-san’s tense posture relaxed a little as he caught sight of her.

“How is she?” The man asked, his voice soft. “Did she react... well?”

Nezu hummed in thought, “I believe so. There was some reluctance to wear a collar but I am taking that to mean she understood the associated connotations and was considering them than anything else.”

Koi took that moment to blink awake, her eyes darting around before landing on the human in front of her. She rolled into her front, ears relaxed and tail gently swaying side to side. Aizawa-san knelt down slowly, and reached out to scratch her ears.

Nezu shifted to the side to better watch the pair indulgently, ready to intervene if Koi showed any signs of unhappiness. She didn't look away, but she didn't seem to mind Aizawa’s attention too much either. That was good - a secondary individual she would accept care from was always useful.

“So... UA now has a Cryptid.” He started, teeth showing over his lower lip. “I look forward to the Staff’s , and our student’s, theories.”

Aizawa hesitated briefly, earning himself a soft headbutt, before he sat down on the sofa. It earned him a soft weight pressed against his lap and warm green eyes staring up at him. Nezu did not miss the way his lips twitched up. One faculty member converted - so many more to go.

“Well, I wanted them to be appropriately respectful.” The man choose a different spot, resulting in Koi going abruptly boneless. Nezu began making mental notes. “And I couldn't ignore them forever...”

“No, it was a reasonable answer.” Nezu admitted, “And I am told every school needs a Cryptid.” His eyes glinted, “I wonder who will meet her first.”

Aizawa shrugged, “Do we know what Inui thinks of cats? Or Koi of dogs for that matter?”

Nezu had thought about that, and had already checked. Hound Dog had a tendency to find cats irritating but had not had any issues with the students that had cat related quirks. A handful had transferred to an alternative counsellor due to their own issues, but Hound Dog had been perfectly professional in every case. Koi on the other hand...

“I have no reason to be concerned regarding Hound Dog. Koi, I am unsure of.”

-/-

Sleepy Head was scratching her ears. ...That, that felt really good. Her Bear’s claws were great for grooming, but this human... she wouldn't be surprised if he had some sort of magic in his fingers. Humans here had that - weirdly specific magic.

He paused as her Bear said something and she widened her eyes pleadingly and butted her head against this hand. She wasn't ready for her scritches to stop yet!

He chuckled slightly, the sound a rumble almost too faint for her ears to pick up and continued to pet her ears. She debated letting the gentle movements lull her back to sleep but... now that she was awake she wanted to explore a bit.

The door was still ajar from when Sleepy Head came in. She could slip out there.

She rolled over again to blink up at the two schemers. Sleepy Head had paused rather than rub at her belly - which she appreciated - and her Bear had tilted his head to watch her with his sharp eyes, considering. She blinked at them both, slowly, then rolled upright and padded primly towards the door.

...She half expected one of them to move to block her, but neither did as she slipped out.

Oh look... an air vent.

With an internal cackle, she hopped onto a chair, scaled the side of a cabinet and sniffed at the bolts holding the grill in place. Such tiny things, and only one to hold the flap shut!

A prod with the tiniest touch of magic and it slipped easily out of place, the spell familiar in essence even if the words escaped her. A claw under the rim, some contortions and she was in.

Now. Time to check out her new home.

-/-

Snipe was casually minding his own business, checking in on the security cameras, when the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end. It wasn't due to any feelings of malice. If he'd felt malice he'd have spun around, guns ready. Genuine malice had no place in a school. 

No. This feeling was worse. This was the feeling of something plotting.

There was a flash of green in the corner of his eyes and he spun around to get a better look.

...He couldn't see anything.

Turning back, instincts in a hair trigger, he let out a yelp to find a large cat with black and orange stripes sitting on his keyboard staring at him with flat green eyes.

Where the fuck had it come from?!

It eyed him for a second before casually turning around - pressing all the keys in the process, all of them! He had to take quick action to stop the system going into emergency shut down! Those buttons shouldn’t have even led to that! - and jumped feather light off the desk to stroll out the door.

Slightly stunned, Snipe cancelled the shut down and stood up to follow it, vague plans to get a look at whatever tag was on its collar and remind whoever it belonged to that pets were not allowed on school property without prior permission.

Only... when he did reach the hallway... it was gone. In fact, there was no sign it had even been around.

Snipe... paused. Then rapidly paled. Oh god. That was Nezu’s new pet. The Cryptid. Nezu had acquired a baby tiger with a stealth quirk to terrorise the school!

-/-

Lunch Rush was humming to himself as he prepared for the evening dinner rush. There were only a handful of students on campus - and most of them wouldn't be by - but the resident staff members at least tended to gather for the evening meal. It was a comforting evening ritual.

He turned around to check on the chicken that was grilling nicely... and frowned.

He was short one of the chicken pieces.

He could have sworn he'd prepared enough for everyone... but... maybe not.

He sighed and moved the finished chicken onto a tray and then into a heated grill. There was time to cook off another piece if he was careful.

...there was one less piece of chicken in the raw meat fridge too.

-/-

Aurora carefully cleaned her claws of chicken before padding back along the vents towards where a stairwell had been. The Glass Castle was large, but the fact nothing seemed to move around made it far easier to map her path than Hogwarts. The fact everywhere here seemed to obey mundane physics helped too. No hidden rooms that only appeared on a full moon when you hopped back and forth four times. Everywhere was where it was supposed to be.

She considered that thought and then sighed as best a cat could sigh. It was a shame the spells she could cast wandlessly and wordlessly were so few. If she had even the ability to cast a basic ward...

The vent door to the stairwell popped open with a magical nudge and Aurora landed lightly on the staircase. She'd explored downstairs fairly thoroughly, and she could hear faint singing from upstairs. It didn't sound that bad and whoever they were had an incredible range.

-/-

Hizashi hummed happily as the tune hit an instrumental portion. The fifth floor room he was in was technically part of the support labs and reasonably well sound proofed for product testing. Unofficially, they rarely needed it and he'd been using it for whenever he didn't want to have to modulate his Voice since he'd joined. Sometimes he just didn't want to worry about if he was singing too loud or he'd accidentally hit a glass shattering pitch, and usually that feeling wasn't in his heavily sound proofed private rooms.

Still, he'd finished the days paperwork, and was ready to track down Sho and Nem for some fun! Sho would grumble but come along easily enough. Nem would be all up for it, but take an age getting ready.

Still humming, he closed the booth’s door behind him and blinked at the sight of a cat curled up and snoozing in one of the fluffy green chairs someone had added next to the monitoring station. Stepping forward, slowly and then a little faster as the cat didn't react beyond cracking open one green eye, he held out a hand for her to sniff. She sniffed it and gave it a tiny lick and looked up at him with big wide wet eyes.

Hizashi’s lips wobbled a little. “Aww kitty! Did you escape from Sho? I can help you find him! And then we can spoil you with treats and cuddles and all the care and attention you need...”

She didn't wriggle as he picked her up and checked her collar. Nor did she do more than snuggle into his neck as he cradled her against his shoulder.

“You're a good kitty, yes you are...” he murmured, frowning at the closed door as he flipped his phone open.

[ Where r u ? Found a school kitty! ]

Sho responded fairly quickly, the little dots doing their Mexican wave for like a second before his answer popped up.

[ Nearly full grown, tiger colours? What's the tag name? ]

Hizashi scratched the cat’s neck. [ Yup! Yours? ] When the cat didn't seem to mind him, he checked the collar.

“Woah! Why’d someone name you goldfish??”

The cat hissed a little at the volume but didn't do more than scramble onto his shoulder. Hizashi let her, petting the fluffy tail curling under his chin.

[ Koi? Tell me you didn't think that was a good name??! We've talked about you and naming stuff!!!! ]

[ Not me. Heading your way. ]

Hizashi eyed his phone and then shrugged, letting his arms roll outwards into a stretch in the same movement. Hunching over paperwork always gave him a stiff back and the cat - Koi - seemed to like the ripple.

“Come on Koi lets go find your cat-Dad. He's probably fussing.”

Koi responded by batting at his hair, the do up in its Hero style. When it didn't move much, she tucked her head down and under his ear, draping herself across his shoulders.

Hizashi tilted his head a little so he could feel the kitty’s ears brushing his own and grinned.

Sho’s latest furry friend was better socialised than their usual guests and hella cute. And she liked him. Unlike the last twelve cats Sho had brought home. Maybe this time they'd get to keep her! Sho got closer to breaking with every furry guest and Hizashi had a good feeling this time...

Oh Yeah!!! This was going to be great!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up that I’m back to work soon and this will drop to once every two days. :(
> 
> Edit: note to self pick better txt message indicators...


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cryptid Theories

Aurora was enjoying her ride. Songbird smelled like Sleepy Head - the body wash maybe? - and he was a very good singer. She also didn't have to try hard to pick up his intentions. Songbird was all but broadcasting how happy he was to see her and the promise of pets and snuggles. It was only marred by the subtle undercurrent of not-mine and must-return-to-keeper which was probably a good sign but... She scrunched up her nose.

The must-have-a-keeper attitude still itched though.

She could still enjoy the warm feelings and promise of snuggles while he was giving her a ride. It was in the direction of her Bear and her snack hadn't quite been enough. Her Bear always had something for her. Even if Songbird wasn't taking her to her Bear, she could jump off whenever. It'd be fine.

And this way she could try to figure out what the hell he did to his hair to make it stick up like that. 

-/-

Nezu had only been... slightly... worried when Koi had decided to go for a walk. He had continued talking with Aizawa-san, the conversation moving on to the student’s improvements after the summer training camp, away from thoughts on what Koi was up to. 

Then Aizawa got a message that Yamada had found Koi and was bringing her here. It made him feel a twinge of something... underneath a spike of interest. She had taken unusually fast to Aizawa given her previous nervousness of humans but he had put that down to Aizawa being with him when they met. 

Now she was allowing Yamada to... carry her? That wasn’t quite what he had been expecting. Perhaps she had decided that if this place was his, and so was ‘safe’, then everyone in it was also safe? That had the potential to be a concern...

He peered up, an amused smile at the smug look Koi had as her tail twitched slowly on the blonde’s other shoulder. “Hello there. Making friends?”

She stood primly and jumped down to the floor, twisting herself around him with a rumbling purr. Yamada's eyes were locked on the two of them, his lip wobbling slightly. Nezu was unfortunately familiar with that expression too.

“Yamada-san, this is Koi.”

His teacher rubbed the back of his head nervously. His eyes slightly wide behind his glasses. “Heh heh... this is um...” he sent a nervous glance at Aizawa-san. “This is UA's new Cryptid?”

Nezu let a large smile with far too many teeth grow in his face. Behind him, Koi went still, her bright eyes fixed on the blonde hero, her tail poised like a flag.

“Why yes Yamada-san, I trust you'll help ensure she settles in well?”

He stuttered, wobbling back a little, hands coming up defensively. “Of course!”

Nezu nodded firmly, and then stroked Koi’s ears as she nuzzled the pocket that usually held treats. He supposed it was when he'd normally be by with food. Bidding goodbye to the others he began the stroll back to his rooms, Koi padding along next to him cheerfully.

This time, his smile was far more genuine.

-/-

Shouta watched Nezu and Koi saunter off, their steps remarkably in time with each other as they prowled down the corridor. Next to him, Hizashi waited until they were out of sight (and hopefully ear shot) before sighing.

“Man, I thought I'd finally found the purrfect pet - a cat that likes me-ow!”

Shouta smirked as Hizashi stumbled into the wall and pouted at him. “Yeah, shame Nezu found her first. Where did you find her anyway?”

Hizashi shrugged. “Three floors up near that sound booth I use? Why?”

Shouta hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the hallway. “She shouldn't have been able to leave the corridor. Nezu’s planning to add sensors to the doors, but they aren't in place yet.” He scanned the corridor with a frown. “Your practice room is locked too. Especially when you're in the booth. Any ideas how she got in?”

Hizashi frowned. “...Now you mention it... yeah that is odd.” He sucked his cheek in and bit his lip. “Veerrrrry odd. Maybe there's more Cryptid in her than expected?”

Shouta considered his friend’s words and shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll keep an eye out.”

-/-

Snipe had spent a good hour going through the international quirked animal registry without much luck. There was nothing under tigers or other large cat category that indicated a stealth quirk of any kind, and he refused to believe that Nezu would fail to have his new pet registered properly. He was considering checking the registery for shapeshifting felines... possibly a cougar or some other deadly creature that could disguise itself to appear domesticated?... when a knock at this door pulled his attention away from his computer.

“Lunch Rush?”

The cook tilted his head in acknowledgement. “I don't suppose anyone has been down to the kitchen recently?”

Snipe tilted his hat back, considering. “How recently?”

“In the last hour perhaps? I had food set aside that disappeared in the time between confirming defrosting was complete and heating the oven. The choice of missing food is interesting as well...”

“Oh? Interesting how?”

“They only took raw meat. And the portions were reasonably large. I am concerned a student is stealing food.”

Snipe hummed, mentally trying to calculate how long it would take to get from the security office to Lunch Rush’s kitchen. “Perhaps if I search for teleportation quirks...”

Lunch Rush blinked at him. “Pardon?”

Snipe offered him a sheepish grin, tilting his hat back to better see his colleague. “Sure we can check the cameras, but I think the scallywag that stole the food was probably Nezu's new project.”

“The Cryptid? It eats meat?”

“Yeah.” The gunslinger pulled up the requested footage and began to fast forward. About two minutes in, Snipe paused the video as his sharp eyes caught a flash of orange. “There's the culprit.”

Lunch Rush frowned as the feline padded delicately along a narrow metal pole, all but flowed down a set of shelving units and slunk out of sight behind the bins. “The kitchen should be secured from... animals.” He eventually complained to himself, “How did it even get in? The hygiene concerns alone...”

Snipe shrugged. “I've been wondering the same thing, partner. However they're doing it, they're mighty sneaky.”

Lunch Rush grumbled something to themselves that Snipe didn't quite catch before he nodded his thanks and let himself out. Snipe watched him go before scanning back through the footage.

His eyes widened as he caught a still shot of the creature slipping out the vents. 

Weren't those... bobby trapped? With lasers?! And locked?!!

Could UA’s Cryptid go intangible like that first year or something too??!!

-/-

Back in her and Bear’s rooms, Aurora eyed her bear as he prepared a small bath tub. She'd finished her food and was preparing to go relax on her sinfully comfortable new bed, when she heard running water and two powerful instincts pulling her in different directions.

Cat!Aurora wanted to go to the other room and sleep. She did not like water.

Human!Aurora was aware that there was warm clean water and she hadn't had a bath in some time. There was an itchy feeling between her shoulder blades too.

It could have been someone watching her... or maybe thinking about her? She had indulged herself a bit much today.

...or it could also be fleas.

Cat!Aurora didn't like fleas.

Human!Aurora waved warm soothing bath images, the sensation of sinking into perfectly warm water in Cat!Aurora’s direction.

Human!Aurora almost won, and then Bear dropped something sweet smelling into the bath water with a plop of wet water splashing and sloshing...

...it was enough.

Tail raised high, she turned and stalked from the room towards her own personal Cat Palace.

It was probably for the best. After all, there seemed to be a distinct lack of towels in that room.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 starts with a bad night’s sleep

_Aurora was petrified, her limbs frozen were she was trapped in the carrier on the bench. Then there was the crack of apparition and there was bone white skin and hateful red eyes burrowing into her head again and all she could hear was the other animals. The pained, terrified sounds from His mere presence and the sound of scales on tile and the whimp_ ering- 

She woke up... was awake... whichever. It had been a dream.

She wasn’t back there. She wasn't helpless in a cage. She wasn't cold and hungry and surrounded by other terrified creatures of different stripes. She was safe. She was warm. She was still stuck as a cat but-

She could still hear quiet, terrified whimpering.

Eyes narrowed, ears twitching, she crept silently through the apartment towards the sound. She was nothing more than a shadow, steps light as the kiss of moonlight. Nothing could see her... nothing could touch her...

Her Bear was in a canopy nest of some kind, snuggled among some . He didn't look comfy. A paw was twitching and she could see his claws out. The whimpering was definitely coming from him. Her paw caught on the rug, nails catching on the weave.

Her tail twitched as she considered her options. She could get up there. She could even get in there. Probably without waking him up, even. But he was having a nightmare and he had claws and it was an enclosed space where she couldn't dodge if he lashed out. Mentally, she scowled.

A whine came from the nest.

Moonlight and shadow, she crept up to the top of the platform giving access to his nest and settled into a bright spot, easily visible from the nest entrance, and began to purr. Deep and soothing and promising safety.

He jerked slightly, a glazed black eye staring at her briefly. She kept her purring up as the eye slowly slid closed and he settled a bit.

Wrapping her tail tightly around herself, she settled down to keep vigil, her gentle rumble filling the room until dawn.

-/-

Nezu woke up to the morning bird song feeling exceptionally well rested. He stretched out in his hammock, feeling the stretch as muscles uncoiled. It had been a while since he hadn't woken up stressed from half remembered nightmares. 

Koi was fast asleep just outside the hammock entrance, her tail just brushing the tip of her nose. He eyed her fondly before scrambling out of the nest and hopping down to start the day. She shifted sleepily behind him, ears tracking his progress even as her eyes stayed closed.

By the time he was dressed, she'd finished her own morning stretches and was ready to trail after him as he headed off to his office.

Nezu hummed quietly to himself. The tune had been stuck in his head since he woke up, and brought to mind old green trees, cool breezes and open meadows. Perhaps it was a lingering remnant from whatever he had been dreaming of...

-/-

In contrast to the previous day, Koi didn't try to leave or go explore any where. Instead she seemed to be almost clingy, sticking to the same room he was in for most of the morning, padding quietly behind him in his shadow when he reluctantly made a trip to his office to collect some papers, and then curling up on top of the bookshelf when they were back. It was a tall corner structure where Nezu kept some of his less commonly used texts and gave her a perch where she could see him, and any visitors would find it rather difficult to see her.

Nezu made a point to keep her food and water bowl topped up, but otherwise left her to her own devices and concentrated on catching up with his paperwork. There were a few cases that he’d put off yesterday that required some attention. All told, he had a quiet productive morning. 

Shuzenji turned up with a suspicious look after lunch, her cane tapping on the floor as she strolled in.

Nezu looked up from his paperwork with a beaming grin. “Recovery Girl! What a pleasant surprise?”

She huffed at him, sharp eyes scanning the room. Koi was currently curled up and dozing however, safely tucked into the shadows at the top of the bookcase, and the school doctor didn't notice her.

“So. What's this about you getting UA a tiger?”

Nezu blinked calmly, “I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean. Would you like some tea?”

“Please,” she watched him collect the tea tray before continuing. “If you didn't get a tiger then I'm rather curious what you have got. Snipe, Lunch Rush and Present Mic all had... encounters. The descriptions didn't always line up.”

Nezu clasped his paws in front of him and smiled, a flick of an ear acknowledging the pair of green eyes that had appeared and were peering down at the diminutive healer.

“Oh? And what are our wonderful faculty saying?”

She huffed, “That apparently you have got a baby ghost tiger with a stealth quirk to terrorise the school. Snipe found a potential match with an escapee from a zoo in Indonesia and is taking the fact that tigers can swim as proof of his theory.”

“Really?”

Shuzenji rolled her eyes, “Oh don't give me that.”

The kettle whistled and Nezu hid his smirk with a convenient trip to fill the teapot. “I admit that I have acquired a feline companion. I am rather surprised she's made such an impression already however.”

“She broke into the security office while Snipe was reviewing the settings. And then raided Lunch Rush’s kitchen.”

“Did she?” Nezu blinked in surprise. “Yamada-San didn't mention where he found her...” The green eyes had begun to slide down the edge of the bookcase. “Why a stealth quirk?”

“The ability to creep into secured room through laser secured vents.” The response was as dry as the Sahara. “And the ability to move unnoticed by Lunch Rush in their own kitchen _while they’re their_. What is this Cryptid’s quirk exactly?”

“Aizawa and I suspect some sort of empathy, primarily. Presumably bidirectional.” Nezu hesitated, “Although how to complete a proper assessment is an interesting question in and of itself. For now I am limiting such efforts to observation only.”

Shuzenji hummed agreement, her eyes narrowing in thought. “It is difficult when the participant cannot explain their own perspective.”

A cold nose poked her ankle and she jolted slightly. Nezu carefully took another sip from his cup, enjoying the subtle aroma as Shuzenji’s hands fluttered slightly. Semi-retired or not, she should be a little more aware of her surroundings.

“Oh, you're a beautiful young lady. Shame on Nezu for keeping you to himself for so long.”

“It is only her second day here.” Nezu protested, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “She needs a chance to settle.”

“Psh, that's what photos are for.”

Gratifyingly, Koi lost interest in her quickly, turning to join him on his cushion. Nezu raised a paw as Koi snuggled under it, pushing herself into his side and wrapping her tail around his back possessively.

Shuzenji followed her movements with a soft smile on her face. “I suppose photos would have done a poor job of showing how adorable she is. Although they would have squashed the tiger theory.”

“Was that a genuine concern?” Nezu asked curiously. “I was unsure what conclusions would be drawn but a tiger seems... slightly outlandish.”

Shuzenji’s expression said it all. Nezu sighed, feeling oddly put upon. He wasn't that bad. Besides.... 

“There would be a number of logistical concerns that would make it impractical. If we required a tiger, I'm sure a suitable facsimile could be built by the support department for the role...”

“That would still be a tiger.” Shuzenji said firmly. “Although one that also had the risk of being able to breath lasers, fly and see in the dark.”

“...natural born tigers do have excellent night vision.”

“Not my point.”

Koi nudged his paw with her head, eyes wide and piteous. Nezu glanced at the clock and hummed. It was about time for her next meal. He jumped up to head to the cupboard.

... Shuzenji was smirking into the hands clasped over the top of her cane.

“Is something wrong?”

She chuckled, “No no, do continue. What do we know about our newest resident - seeing as she is very clearly not a tiger...”

Koi was staring her down from her position, one ear tracking him while she kept the rest of her attention on his school doctor. Nezu watched the two of them thoughtfully for a second before continuing to the cupboards and fishing out her specially prescribed cat food. She really was a touch too thin.

“The vet couldn't narrow down her exact breed but suspects she might be at least partly an American shorthair.” He called over his shoulder, “She has demonstrated a higher level of intelligence than an average cat, has an empathy type quirk and doesn't appear to understand Japanese spoken or written but is remarkably sensitive to an individual’s tone.”

He waited until Koi had vacated the room to eat her food, before returning to his seat and folding his paws together. The look he levelled at Shuzenji was... cold, and sharp, and neither it nor the words matched his voice’s casual, cheerful lilt.

“Her past history is... more concerning. While at one point she was clearly well cared for, she is now severely undernourished and has a number of recent scrapes that were left untreated. This is in addition to a series of quirk induced injuries from over the last few months, including induced essential tremors and what is possibly signs of some mental quirk induced trauma. It's unclear if the former are a result of the later, but Itoh-Sensei does not believe so.”

“Experimentation?”

Nezu wrinkled his nose. “Perhaps if the individual in question was particularly unskilled in the scientific disciplines. I am more inclined to think malice.” He met her eyes steadily. “Itoh-Sensei has healed what he could but there may well be some lingering issues. Please bare this in mind.”

Recovery Girl nodded back at him, the steely eyed hero matching him toothed grin to fanged grin from Shuzenji’s kind face.

It was so good to have such competent and understanding colleagues. 


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to the Kitchen

Aurora spent the morning napping, staying close to Bear and occasionally having a snack. It had been a long night and she had overdone it a little the day before. A morning of rest, and her magic levels and general energy had been restored to - what she considered to be at least - acceptable levels.

Which meant it was time to cause more mischief. How was she to know how far she could push things if she didn't know where the boundaries were? No, getting everything out the way before children returned to what she was 99% sure was a school was the best option.

And also she was bored.

So, after lunch, she decided to stretch her legs, do some more reconnaissance...

See if she could track down that burning sugar smell...

Maybe get a snack from the kitchen again.

-/-

Cook was bustling around cheerfully when she reached the kitchen. She observed him quietly from one of the air vents, listening to his cheery tune. It was pretty catchy.

When he turned to fetch something from the dry stores cupboard, she head butted the vent cover. She was gentle, she didn't want it to fall off or anything. With the screw missing, it should have easily slipped open.

The screw was still missing, but the vent cover didn't budge. Her magic wasn't finding any of those tiny little latches either. Aurora scowled to herself. What was she missing...?

Narrowing her eyes, she cast around until she saw the other vent that led into the kitchen. She had to stick her head against the grate and squint at the reflection in a saucepan to spot it, but it was just possible to see if she squinted. For the briefest moment, she had half a thought to work her way around to that vent and then sneak in that way, but it was immediately very clear that wouldn't work.

Someone had sealed the edge of the vent with something the grey colour of cement. It traced around the edge in a carefully pipped line, flourishes on each corner in the form of little rose swirls. Aurora could do many things but cracking that discretely so she could slip in wasn't one. In fact, getting so much as a claw point under the edge wouldn't be possible either. 

She would need another entrance.

Wriggling back out the vents, Aurora casually strolled along the corridor until she could loiter next to the canteen door. There was some sort of metal shelving unit there, empty except for tiny notches up the sides, as if someone had forgot to add the actual shelves. There was a convenient cat sized gap underneath unit for her to fit in, and chill for a few minutes.

Waiting.

Some how this was a better option than heading all the way back to her Bear's to beg for scraps.

-/-

Lunch Rush did not believe in mysterious teleporting tigers, nor did he believe in stealth-quirked feline shapeshifters. He would not fall into the same paranoia as his coworkers. Nezu was a practical creature for all that he was prone to... his meddling. He would not truly endanger the school or students... for example, by risking food poisoning from an interloper with a fascination for his kitchen.

So no, Lunch Rush was not truly worried. The air vents were sealed. Whatever Nezu had unleashed on the school would not be getting in the way of preparing good, satisfying, hygienic food for those who needed it.

At least, he didn't until he stepped out to unlock the kitchen shutter and returned to find a large white sludge pile of flour and milk.

He'd only paused to talk for two minutes!

-/-

In Aurora’s defence, she hadn't meant to knock over that jar. Or the jug. She'd been slinking along, target in her sights when there had been a whiff of a canine scent that was so incredibly familiar she'd startled and done a double take.

She had been a hundred percent convinced for a good minute that Remus had just walked past. 

The crushing loneliness when she had a moment to notice the differences in scent was... well. She'd been a bit angry. She hadn't looked where her butt had gone when she'd spun around back towards the fridge and the two containers had slid straight off the edge to clatter on the floor. Her attempts to shove the lid back on the flour hadn't got her anywhere either. It had just left a pile of sludge instead.

She did feel bad about it.

Enough that she made sure not to leave tracks all over the kitchen while she enjoyed some smoked salmon and investigated the can shelf. She couldn't read much on it, and what she could read made no sense whatsoever, but the pictures looked promising. Next time she would have to see if she'd guessed right and the picture of a chicken in a sailing boat was actually the can with tuna in it.

-/-

Lunch Rush was a calm man. He was a sensible man. He could deal with a little mayhem. Chaotic supply lines, hungry refugees and localised famine were all well within his scope as a support hero (retired). This. This was on another level.

The thing was there weren't any paw prints. 

He could picture it now. UA’s Cryptid had come in, tail waving like a flag, picked its way through the slush pile, squishing it into irregular lumps, and then not left so much as a smudge in it's passing as it went on to explore the rest of the kitchen. That wasn't... Cats didn't do that. Teleporters didn't do that. Intangible menaces who were always getting stuck in walls didn't do that. No one did that!

But he would not be defeated.

If Nezu’s Cryptid wanted a war, it would get one.

No one meddled with his kitchen.

-/-

Shouta had found a new napping spot. It was quiet, peaceful and well out of the way of the other teachers and students. Even better, it was in a shady sheltered spot so he got full advantage of the gentle breeze and the sweet smelling summer air without any risk of summer drizzle. It was the perfect place to chill, wrapped in a sheet, on top of his sleeping bag.

Koi seemed to agree.

She'd appeared and curled on top of his stomach (well where his stomach would be) while he was sleeping. He'd only woken up to discover that when she had started twitching in her sleep. He'd wriggled out enough to spare a hand to sooth her ears, but neither that nor his wriggling had woken her up. It did seem to help her settle.

For a moment he sat there and eyed the rapidly setting sunset. He'd have to go on patrol soon but there was still some time. He was warm and comfy, and there was a warm fluffy cat curled into his lap. He ran another hand over her silky ears and sighed.

...Koi smelled of fish.

Shouta eyed her and sniffed his hand. Thankfully, he didn't smell of fish - just Koi.

Mentally shrugging to himself, Shouta allowed himself five more minutes before removing himself completely from the sleeping bag and crouching next to the kitty, lips quirking up into a soft smile.

“You're an angel really, aren't you?” He murmured. “Wouldn't hurt a fly.”

Koi wriggled slightly, squirming into a more comfortable position.

“Unfortunately, we can't stay here all night. Nezu will be worried for one, and I have patrol.”

He scooped her up, bag and all and cradled her carefully to his chest.

“Let's get you back.”

Koi snuffled a little and burrowed into his chest. Shouta felt the soft smile grow and did his best to suppress it. He had a certain reputation to maintain. It wouldn't do to let it slip. Not among students or coworkers.

Not even when faced with a perfect little Angel like this.

-/-

“Snipe.”

“Ummm... Hi?” Snipe hadn't known that the gentle, always cheerful cook could exude quite that much menace.

“I need to see the camera footage again.”

“Of- of course. Anything in particular?”

“I’ll know it when I see it.”


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night time games

The world is a different place in the dark. Nezu had long preferred it, but unfortunately humans were generally diurnal by nature. As a being who worked closely with humankind by necessity, he did have to put some effort into... accommodating their needs. Even if it was rather useful on occasion to find their alertness fading as his sharpened in the evening.

That didn't mean he couldn't take sometime to enjoy his own preferred hours. Not even the humans he worked with went straight to sleep when the sun went down after all. Sometimes, he just wanted to take a nice refreshing midnight walk without shoes. The one concession he would make to his comfort and not carefully selected human-approved appearance.

Koi interrupted his musings with a curious chirrup, slipping out through her cat flap to blink up at him with half lidded eyes that belied the alertness in her ears. Nezu blinked back and held out a paw in invitation. He wasn't opposed to company... especially company that wouldn't expect him to chatter. Words had their place in that humans rarely seemed to understand anything else, but it could be rather tiring translating everything into vocal sounds all the time.

Koi’s silent footsteps as she padded to his side were... oddly comforting. It was the sort of night where the world felt like it should be quiet. The sort where his intellect was drawn away from the many cases and priorities he was constantly juggling to the sounds around himself, the breeze over his whiskers, and the scents on the air.

Which was of course when his feet managed to knock into a small stone and send it clattering across the path.

Koi stiffened before letting out a rumble of amusement. Nezu couldn't help but be rather pleased with himself. His investigations into feline language were starting to pay off. 

Then Koi slipped away from him to pad in front, occasionally glancing back. Nezu... hesitated. She could be attempting to lead him somewhere but it didn't feel like that what was what she...

Oh.

He chuckled quietly to himself. Koi was treading very deliberately. The way her paws shifted and moved... He did his best to copy her and let out a grin as his steps became increasingly silent as they mimicked her movements.

This was very interesting.

Very interesting indeed.

Because those steps were not how Koi moved silently. They were adjusted to his own stiffer gait rather than her own flowing loose style. More importantly, the technique was effective and noticeably quietened his own movements. 

Nezu felt an eager smile spread across his face as Koi looped back and nuzzled him. Koi understood the concept of teaching. Koi understood adapting lessons to individuals. Koi understood learning!

-/-

Aurora was feeling pleasantly tired when she and her Bear headed back to his rooms. It had been an interesting evening. Bear had caught on fast enough to the tweaks in his steps that by the end of the night they were having a great time play-stalking. And when they’d moved to the trees...

It had been a while since anyone had beaten her at stealth games, but Bear’s natural habitat was definitely not the ground. He'd kept a careful eye on her, staying close as they crept higher. Then, patiently showing her how to test the branches she was moving on, letting her follow his steps as she scrambled up and down...

Trees were never something she’d put much effort into before. At school she hadn't wanted to risk a visit with the acromantula and after there was no point. The proud gleam in her Bear’s eyes whenever she successfully copied whatever he was showing her though... 

Aurora liked that feeling. Even second hand, the warmth and joy whenever she successfully managed what he wanted her to learn was genuinely enjoyable.

She wondered what he might try to teach her next... and if they'd get to go play again.

She hadn't had that much fun since... since school.

Since the Marauders.

She missed them.

-/-

Nezu was... reconsidering his plans to introduce Koi to the other teachers at this morning’s staff meeting. It wouldn't have been too difficult to keep it calm and relaxing. She had met the majority of his teacher’s already with her recent antics and had been relatively confident engaging on a one to one basis. A comfortable space to sit out of direct view and it would give her a chance to take in their scents without overstimulation.

That had been before this morning.

Aizawa had returned from his patrol and seeing his lights on in the pre-dawn gloom had dropped by. That wasn't unusual. Sometimes the man just wanted someone to bounce ideas off and Nezu tended to indulge his staff in such matters. Positive feedback in measured doses did wonders for employee morale.

Koi had seemed... listless. Aizawa had agreed, while she'd only been living with him for two days, this was the first time she hadn't come to greet the man.

“And she hasn't touched her food since last night?”

Nezu shook his head, steeping his paws in front of himself. The cat in question was curled up in her bed, not showing any signs of wanting to move. “We had an active hour of play, and she seemed perfectly happy then.”

Aizawa frowned uncertainly. “It doesn't seem like tiredness.”

“No.”

The two males were quiet for a moment. “Usually stimulation helps in these circumstances. Did anything happen during... play?”

“Not that I noticed. She is an eager learner and was deeply engaged. I would dare say she was having fun.”

“Learning?”

Nezu hummed. “We were practising climbing in the trees. At least she should not get stuck any time soon.”

Aizawa grunted an acknowledgment, his eyes turning to the ball of fur that was Koi. Nezu took a sip of tea, considering the man in front of him.

“Tomorrow. She can join me in my office then.”

As expected, Aizawa frowned at him. “And for the rest of today?”

“You could stay with her.”

Aizawa looked thoughtful. “I suppose it doesn't matter where I take my post-patrol nap.”

Nezu smiled, keeping his teeth covered except for the small hint of fang where it wasn't worth the effort. “Thank you Aizawa-san. Would you like a reminder for the morning meeting?”

Aizawa rolled his eyes as Nezu’s smile grew.

-/-

Aurora came back to awareness when a particularly warm sunbeam crept over her paws and tickled her whiskers. She was vaguely aware of Sleepy Head unzipping himself from that sinfully comfortable sleeping bag from last night. She blinked out of her doze slowly, the heavy feeling from the end of last night a touch less smothering but it still stung.

Bear was awesome and someone who was most definitely firmly in the friend category now.

Sleepy Head was a master of pets and scratches and his sleeping bag was to die for.

Songbird had a great voice and energy.

Even the glass castle was a decent place and the ground promised to have (if not quite as deadly) just as much wildlife to... befriend... as Hogwarts had.

But it wasn't Hogwarts, and her new friends weren't her old ones, and realising that she had given up on getting back to them...

She just wanted to go back to sleep, to wake up later and find she was home.

Unfortunately, the sun was doing an annoying job of coaxing her awake and the part of her that was always moving, always pushing, always doing was getting impatient. The World waited for no Cat and she didn't want to think about it yet.

She needed a distraction.

Maybe she could follow Sleepy Head?


End file.
